Seats of the reclining type



y 13, 1953 R. A. LAUTIER ET AL 2,834,402

SEATS OF THE RECLINING TYPE Filed Nov. 21, 1956 INVENTORS- P065)? H L/YUT/EA B W wage y AHNEY United States Patent 2,834,402 SEATS OF THE RECLINING TYPE Application November 21, 1956, Serial No. 623,704 3 Claims. (Cl. 155-455 Our invention is directed to an improvement in seats of the recline type, viz., seats of the type in which the back of the seat structure is movable 'to various angles of recline.

One of the objects of our invention "is to provide a construction in seats of this type in which we are able to obtain a maximum angle of recline in a minimum of overall length. This is of importance where a partition or wall behind the seat would otherwise limit recline travel to an uncomfortable angle. This reduction in overall length, while retaining maximum angle of recline, presents another advantage in that, in an installation such as on aircraft or other commercial conveyance where the seats are installed in rows, sufficient space is saved toenable one or more additional seats to be installed.

Another object of our invention is to make provision for tilting of the seat bottom as the back is reclined, to eliminate any objectionable gap. and its resulting discomfort between the seat cushion and seat back as the back is reclined. This tilting of the seat bottom also eliminates the tendency of the body of the seat occupant to slide forward as the seat back is reclined.

In the accompanying drawings, a

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary, isometric view, with some parts broken away, of an embodiment of our invention; and

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of part of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings in detail, our improved seat construction comprises a base frame 2, a back frame 4, and a seat frame 6.

As illustrated in the drawings, the base frame 2 comprises the two sides 8 and a front 10. We have omitted any showing of supporting legs or other supporting means for this frame, as the same constitutes no part of our invention.

As shown in Fig. 2, the plane of the back frame 4 throughout the main or body portion of the frame is more or less in line with the rear ends of the sides 8 of the base frame when the back frame is in erect position. The sides 12 of the back frame, at their lower ends, are extended or projected forwardly of the seat structure for a substantial distance. These projecting portions or horns of the back frame, which have been designated 14, extend forwardly along the inner faces of the two sides 8 of the base frame, where they are pivoted at their forward ends to the base frame, as shown at 16. Thus it will be seen that the pivotal points of attachment of the back frame to the base frame are a substantial distance forward of the rear edge of the base frame and, hence, forward of the plane of the body or main portion of the back frame, in practice, approximately midway between the rear and front of the sides 8 of the base frame. The projections or horns 14 of the back frame may or may not be integral with the sides 12 of the back frame, but in any event they must be rigid with these side members.

To illustrate the space saved by our construction as abreast of the ears 22. Each ear 22 of the seat frame 2,834,492 Patented May 13, 1958 compared with conventional construction wherein the back frame customarily terminates at and is pivoted to the rear edge of the seat structure, we have superimposed dash-and-dot lines on Fig. 2 representing a conventional back frame in erect and in reclined position, our construc- "tion being represented by broken lines in the same figure. Referring to Fig. 2, the dash-and-dot lines designated a and b represent a-conventional back frame in erect and reclined position, respectively, the frame being pivoted 'at c as is customary. The broken line :1 represents the backframe of our construction in reclined position, broken line e representing forwardly extending projections corresponding to the projections or horns 14 of our back frame. It will be seen from this illustration that the back frames b and .d are inclined at the same angle of recline, b having pivoted about c, while d has pivoted about the extremities of the projections e at 16'. By pivoting the back frame at 16, as in our construction, the whole back frame is lowered when being moved to recline position, the lower end of the frame swinging downwardly and to the left, as viewed in Fig. 2, on an are having 16 as its center and distance 16 to c as its radius. As a result of our construction it will be seen that the upper end of the back frame d, for a given angle of recline of the frame, is displaced a shorter distance in ahorizontal plane than the upper end of frame a (conventional construction) for the same angle of recline, this difference being the distance between the two perpendiculars f and g. It will be appreciated that in a fullsize seat this saving in overall length and, hence, saving in space required for installation will be several inches, so that, not only may we install our seat nearer to a wall or partition than a seat of conventional construction and still have the advantage of full angle of recline, but enough space may be saved in a row of seats to permit of the installation of one or more additional seats. The seat frame 6, which, for example, may be U-sha'ped as shown, has the forward ends of its sides or legs pivoted to the sides 8 of the base frame, as shown at 20. Each leg of the seat frame is provided with a downwardly projecting ear 22, and each of the horns 14 of the back frame 4 is provided with a similar car 24, positioned is provided with a slot 26, inclined rearwardly and downwardly of the seat structure, and each of the cars 24 is provided with a pin 28, extending into these slots.

The pivotal connection of the seat frame 6 to the base frame and the slot and pin connections just referred to between the horns of the back frame 4 and the seat frame provide for tilting of the seat frame about the pivots 20 as the back frame is reclined. This eliminates any objectionable gap between the back frame and a seat cushion resting upon the seat frame. This construction also presents another advantage in that, by tilting the seat frame with the back frame as the back frame is being reclined, any tendency of the seat occupant to slide forward on the seat cushion will be eliminated.

Means are provided for locking the back frame 4 in adjusted position. In the construction illustrated this means comprises two telescoping tubes 30 and 32. The lower and outer tube 30 is pivoted to the base frame at 34, while the upper tube 32 is pivoted to the back frame at 36. A compression spring 38 seats within the lower and outer tube 30 and is engaged by the inner end of tube 32. The function of this spring is to move the back frame toward erect position when the frame is not locked. To lock the back frame at various angles of recline against the restoring action of the spring 38, the tube 30 is provided with an aperture through the wall thereof for a locking pin 40, carried by one arm of a bell crank lever 42, which is pivoted to a bracket 44 on the side of the tube 30. A torsion spring 41 on the pivot of the lever normally holds the bell crankin lock-' ing position, as shown in Fig. 2, for example. The tube 32 is provided with apertures 48, adapted selectively to be moved into register with the aperture in the tube 30 to permit the locking pin 4-0 to lock the two tubes to each other and, hence, lock the back frame 4 at various angles of recline. A cable 50 is attached to the bell crank lever 42 and extends forwardly of the seat structure to within easy reach of the seat occupant.

From the foregoing it will be seen that we have pro vided a novel construction in seats of the recline type wherein we obtain the maximum in recline angle with the minimum of overall length. It will be appreciated also that, by tilting the seat frame as the back frame is tilted to various angles of recline, we eliminate any objectionable gap between the seat cushion and back frame, and that any tendency of a seat occupant to slide forward as the back'is tilted is eliminated.

It is to be understood that changes may be made in the details of construction and arrangement of parts above described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings within the purview of our invention.

What we claim is:

1. A seat structure comprising, in combination, a base frame; a seat frame disposed between the sides of said base frame, said seat frame being pivoted to the two sides of said base frame adjacent the forward end of the seat frame; a back frame extending upwardly from the base frame adjacent the rear ends of the base frame sides; a pair of projections rigid with the two sides of said back frame and extending therefrom forwardly of the seat frame between the two sides of the said base frame; a pivotal connection between each of said projections and the two sides of the base frame to provide for rearward movement of said back frame to various angles of recline; and means for attaching the seat frame to the said forwardly extending projections of the back frame to the rear of the said pivotal connections of said projections to the sides of the base frame, to provide for pivoting of the seat frame about its said pivotal connections to the sides of the said base frame, to lower the rear end of the seat frame as the back frame is pivoted rearwardly about its pivotal connections to the sides of the base frame.

2. A seat structure comprising, in combination, a base frame; a seat'frame disposed between the sides of said movement of said back frame to various angles of recline; and slot and pin connections for attaching the seat frame to the said forwardly extending projections of the back frame to the rear of the said pivotal connections of said projections to the sides of the base frame, to provide for pivoting of the seat frame about its said pivotal connections to the sides of the said base frame, to lower the rear end of the seat frame as the back frame is pivoted rearwardly about its pivotal connections to the sides of the base frame.

3. A seat structure comprising, in combination, a base frame; a back frame having projections rigid therewith extending forwardly of the seat structure between the two sides of the base frame and pivoted to the base frame a substantial distance forward of the rear ends of the base frame sides, whereby as the back frame is pivoted rearwardly to various angles of recline, its lower end will move downwardly as its upper end moves rearwardly; an articulated seat frame between the two sides of the said base frame and pivoted thereto and attached to said back frame projections to lower the rear end of the seat frame as the back frame is reclined; and a linear lock for the back frame extending along the back frame, one end of said lock being attached to the back frame, its other end being attached to one of the base frame sides, said lock being adjustable intermediate its ends to lock the back frame at various angles of recline.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 538,708 Smith May 7, 1895 1,959,696 Todd et a1. May 22, 1934 2,426,336 Binus Aug. 26, 1947 2,675,061 Erskine Apr. 13. 1954 

